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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23962045">Take You Somewhere You'll Never Expect</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/PluralForce/pseuds/PluralForce'>PluralForce</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood &amp; Manga</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>"oh no he's hot", Attempt At Romance Mistaken For Attempt At Murder, M/M, Reluctant Attraction, Tilting Someone's Chin Up With A Sword, sparring leads to sex</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 16:01:46</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,850</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23962045</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/PluralForce/pseuds/PluralForce</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>All Ed wanted to do was visit his little brother in Xing, okay? He certainly didn't anticipate any of <i>this</i>.</p>
<p>Ling, on the other hand, knew exactly what he wanted from the start.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Edward Elric/Ling Yao</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>268</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Id Pro Quo 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Take You Somewhere You'll Never Expect</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/adspexi/gifts">adspexi</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This might just be the most ridiculously self-indulgent thing I've ever written and I had a lot of fun with it. I hope you like it!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ed didn’t actually ask for any of this to happen, okay? He didn’t. All he wanted was to go visit his little brother in Xing. And, okay, the idiot prince had apparently just been crowned idiot emperor, so he probably owed it to Ling to see how that was going. But mainly he just wanted to visit Al. That was all.</p>
<p>And visiting Al really was rewarding. They exchanged letters often, but it had been a few years since they’d properly seen each other, and Ed missed him like nothing else. When he finally made it all the way to the capital of Xing and saw Al again, the first thing on Ed’s mind was how <i>happy</i> and <i>healthy</i> Al looked. He didn’t think he’d ever quite be over that.</p>
<p>It turned out Al was staying in an estate near the palace that was way larger than he had any need for. Ed gaped as Al showed him around the place, slightly awkward as though himself couldn’t quite believe just how much space there was. The bulk of it had been converted into alchemy research space, because that was all Al really needed space for.</p>
<p>They spent the next few days catching up and getting distracted by alchemy theory, until Al reminded him that he really should see Ling at some point while he was here. Oh, right, yeah, he should do that.</p>
<p>The palace guards let them in easily once Al explained who Ed was, and the two of them were escorted to an overly ornate receiving room that was, honestly, way too ostentatious by anyone’s standards, in Ed’s opinion.</p>
<p>“So you really haven’t talked or written or anything since he left Amestris?” Al asked quietly.</p>
<p>Ed shrugged. “I got busy with research stuff. Haven’t really had time to write anyone except you. Besides, I bet he’s also been too busy, y’know, being the freaking emperor and everything.”</p>
<p>“Really, Ed!” came a familiar annoying voice, interrupting their conversation. “Why don’t you write? If I’d known you were coming, I could have prepared something better to greet you!”</p>
<p>Before even looking, Ed automatically sniped back, “The whole point was so you <i>wouldn’t</i> do something fancy.”</p>
<p>Ling looked… different. In contrast to the casual clothes Ed had always seen him in that made it hard to believe he was a prince, now he was dressed in elaborately colored silk robes that made him seem much more mature and composed than Ed knew he actually was.</p>
<p>It <i>should</i> have been ridiculous. The getup should have made him look like a kid playing dress-up. A few years ago, Ed would’ve been pointing and laughing at him, propriety be damned. Now… there was a weight to the teasing smile and the emperor’s robes that had something dislodging in Ed’s chest before he could be sure what it was.</p>
<p>Ed swallowed, suddenly realizing he’d been staring, and tried to return to speaking like nothing had happened. “I don’t want some big ceremony or whatever! Just because you’re the emperor now doesn’t mean you have to get all fancy on me all of a sudden! And what’s with the getup? You look ridiculous.” There. Nailed it.</p>
<p>Ling laughed, drowning out the scandalized murmurs of the courtiers trailing behind him. “I’m glad to see that mouth of yours hasn’t changed, at least. I have to say, Ed, you look a lot different from the last time I saw you. For one thing, you’re not as sh—”</p>
<p>“Don’t say it,” Ed warned.</p>
<p>Ling laughed again, loud and clear, and the sound made Ed’s stomach do somersaults. Oh no. Nope. Absolutely not. Not happening. Whatever the hell this was, it was <i>not</i> going to turn into a problem.</p>
<p>——</p>
<p>It was a problem.</p>
<p>It was turning into a pretty big problem, actually. Because Ling wanted to spar to see how Ed had improved in the last few years (or show off, more like), which meant Ling had to change into his casual sparring clothes, which meant Ed had no way to ignore the inevitable reality that was creeping up on him: that in the span of the few years since Ed had seen him, Ling had somehow gotten? Attractive?? Rude.</p>
<p>Ed wasn’t <i>used</i> to this kind of blatant attraction hitting him in the face. So he was trying to put up a good fight, he really was, but he kept getting distracted by Ling’s stupid collarbones or his stupid well-toned arms or his stupid annoying <i>face</i>. And then he would quite literally get hit in the face because Ling wasn’t honorable enough not to take advantage of Ed’s obvious distraction, which just made him hotter. Fuck.</p>
<p>After a few rounds of humiliation, Ling finally let up and took pity on Ed.</p>
<p>“I should give you some time to catch up with your brother anyway,” he said. “I’m sure you two have a lot to talk about. But don’t think both of you won’t be joining me for a feast tonight!”</p>
<p>“Of course. Always with the food,” Ed grumbled, pretending not to notice Al’s judgmental stare.</p>
<p>——</p>
<p>“Really, Brother? Really?” Yep, Al was judging him. Which was fair, honestly.</p>
<p>Ed buried his face in his arms. “I know. It’s ridiculous. Judge me all you like.”</p>
<p>Ed thought he could hear a sigh, but he couldn’t be sure.</p>
<p>“I don’t even know how this happened, honestly,” Ed continued, looking back up. “But I guess I have to deal with it now.”</p>
<p>“My question is, what are you going to do about it?” Al asked, because he always was the more sensible one.</p>
<p>Ed shrugged, then sighed. “I have no idea. Probably nothing, honestly. I mean, come on, Al, he’s the emperor. Of an entire country. I can’t exactly just ask him out for brunch.”</p>
<p>“…Brunch?” Al asked after a moment.</p>
<p>“Why is that what you focus on?”</p>
<p>Al shook his head wearily. “At any rate, just don’t come looking to me for help when you change your mind,” he said, like it was an inevitability that Ed would. “Not that I think you’ll need it, anyway, with Ling involved.”</p>
<p>“Wait, what’s that supposed to mean?” Ed demanded.</p>
<p>Al refused to answer the question no matter how much Ed pestered him.</p>
<p>——</p>
<p>The feast Ling held for them in the palace was exactly as lavish as Ed would expect of someone with an appetite like Ling’s. (Him? Stop being petty over room service bills? Never.) Still, it was all excellent, so Ed couldn’t complain.</p>
<p>After, Ling took Ed on a tour around the palace grounds, just the two of them—Ed did have to admit it was beautiful. More importantly, Ling insisted on it being just the two of them, and Ed wasn’t sure what to make of that.</p>
<p>As Ling led him through a huge and perfectly tended garden, Ed said wryly, “You know what, I’m not even surprised you would end up in a place like this. Especially not after sharing a body with <i>that</i> asshole. Guess he rubbed off on you, huh?”</p>
<p>Ling’s smile turned sharp and deadly. “There’s a reason I was able to withstand his possession, Ed. I was like this to begin with. And I go after what I want just the way he did.”</p>
<p>As Ed was busy trying to figure out when the hell that expression of his got so attractive, Ling added, “Speaking of which, I’d like very much to do something like this again. Do come visit as often as you can while you’re here.”</p>
<p>Wha—‘speaking of which’?! Ed sputtered and <i>did not</i> blush and managed, “Uh—okay, sure,” and Ling looked like the cat that ate the canary.</p>
<p>——</p>
<p>“I don’t know what to <i>do</i> with this, Al,” Ed groaned later that night. “I mean, I know I said I wasn’t going to do anything, but he’s just so—” Ed buried his face in his hands.</p>
<p>Al didn’t even look up from his research. “Why are you even interested in the first place, Brother?” He pauses to cross something out and rewrite it. “I mean—it’s Ling. Don’t get me wrong, of course we’re friends, but this is the guy who once pretended not to speak Amestrian so he could get out of paying his share of a bill. He doesn’t strike me as your type.”</p>
<p>His baby brother, all grown up and throwing shade at people. Ed was so proud.</p>
<p>“I thought the same thing, honestly,” Ed said with a sigh. He really <i>shouldn’t</i> have been Ed’s type. He was a punk and an idiot and loved intentionally poking at Ed’s nerves. But he was also ambitious as hell and more caring than he’d admit and even… ugh… genuinely attractive. Dammit. That was just unfair.</p>
<p>Like hell he was saying all that out loud, though.</p>
<p>Instead, he sprung up from where he was sitting and went over to Al’s pile of notes. “So what is this you’re working on now? It looks like a different project from the other day.”</p>
<p>Al side-eyed him for a few moments, but thankfully let him change the subject.</p>
<p>——</p>
<p>Ed suspected it wasn’t normal for someone like him, even as a friend of the emperor, to be allowed to just hang out while Ling looked over a mountain of papers about various political matters, but here Ed was, lounging on the extra furniture while the courtiers looking on tried not to have a fit.</p>
<p>One in particular was very persistent—some guy with an ugly beard whose name Ed couldn’t be bothered to remember. “Your Excellency, I must insist—there is a time and a place for social gatherings—”</p>
<p>Ed rolled his eyes. Standing guard behind Ling, Lan Fan was staying perfectly stone-faced, but Ed assumed that internally she was doing the same.</p>
<p>“Haven’t I told you to treat Ed with the highest honor?” Ling scolded. “Really. This isn’t about social propriety or anything like that. He saved my life, you know. I really must tell everyone that story in detail—have it put into the history books. Edward Elric, the man who fed a shoe to the emperor.” He says it with a perfectly straight face, too.</p>
<p>“Damn right!” Ed said, nodding. Hey—he made Xingese history, that’s a win! “I’d do it again, too, if I had to.”</p>
<p>“Well, I hope we don’t end up in another situation like that one where you had to,” Ling said with a laugh. “But even so, that’s very considerate of you, Ed.” He flashed a smile that has Ed’s heart skipping a beat.</p>
<p>Ed could <i>feel</i> Lan Fan staring a hole into the side of his head. Not the threatening kind of stare, but definitely the kind where she was judging all of his life choices. He dared a glance over at her to find her directing the stare at Ling as well. Well, good, at least they were both being judged equally for this.</p>
<p>“Now, if you don’t have anything else to say,” Ling said, glancing significantly at the protesting courtier, “I believe you mentioned you had some urgent business to attend to, correct?”</p>
<p>When the man was gone, Ling sighed and rubbed his temples.</p>
<p>“Is he always like that?” Ed asked frankly.</p>
<p>Ling laughed a bit. “Unfortunately so.”</p>
<p>——</p>
<p>The next day, the courtier’s robes had mysteriously been dyed bright, gaudy, awful colors, and when asked, Ed staunchly denied he had anything to do with it.</p>
<p>Ling still laughed himself silly when he got a moment alone. When he finally managed to stop, he said to Ed with a teasing grin, “That just might be the most romantic thing anyone’s ever done for me.”</p>
<p>“Wha—?!” Okay, Ed was definitely blushing this time. Fuck. “Romantic?! What’s wrong with your brain? And who says it was for you, anyway!”</p>
<p>Ling just started laughing again, leaving Ed spluttering and shouting in denial. This time, Lan Fan really did roll her eyes.</p>
<p>——</p>
<p>“Okay,” Ed said to himself. “Okay, fine. I’ll show him romantic. He wants to play that game? Fine.”</p>
<p>Al looked up from the notes he was studying. “…How worried should I be?” he asked slowly.</p>
<p>“It’ll go great, don’t worry,” Ed assured him. “What’s romantic again? Candles or some shit? I can do candles.”</p>
<p>Al put his face in his hands. “Please just don’t actually set anything on fire.”</p>
<p>“What, no faith in your big brother? It’ll be fine.”</p>
<p>——</p>
<p>It was perfect, if Ed did say so himself. Well, okay, it wasn’t quite finished yet, but when it was done it would be perfect. Ed surveyed his work in the room of Ling’s private quarters that Ed had convinced Lan Fan to let him into. He’d almost put the finishing touches on the complicated machine rigged up around the room that, when triggered by the door opening, would cause a chain effect that led to the lighting of candles arranged in the shape of a heart. If Ling wanted romantic, then he would damn well get it.</p>
<p>He was just rigging up the match lighting mechanism when he heard… the door opening? Oh no no no— “Wait stop don’t come in—”</p>
<p>Ed rushed over to the door just in time to see a surprised and confused Ling trigger the start of the chain reaction that wasn’t complete yet. Frantic, he tried to rush back to what he’d been working on, but by the time he got there, it was too late: the incomplete mechanism, instead of swinging around to light the candles, dropped to the floor and promptly set the extremely fancy rug on fire.</p>
<p>“SHIT—”</p>
<p>——</p>
<p>Once they had put out the fire, and Ling had stopped laughing at him, Ed realized they’d attracted an audience of curious court members who were absolutely scandalized by the scene in front of them.</p>
<p>“You hooligan foreigner!” One of them spat at him. “How dare you, getting close to His Excellency only to attempt to murder him!”</p>
<p>“Wha—I didn’t—” Ed spluttered. Well, yeah, okay, when you looked at this as an outsider, it did look pretty bad, but he wasn’t <i>trying</i> to get anyone killed!</p>
<p>Ling sighed. “Let me deal with this, Ed. It’ll take a while, but I can convince them you weren’t actually trying to assassinate me.” He grinned. “I do at least appreciate the gesture, I have to say. Though maybe a little less fire next time.”</p>
<p>And then Ling was leaving. Ed followed him outside and was about to yell something about <i>damn right it’ll be better next time</i>, when out of the corner of his eye, he noticed two courtiers slipping off around the corner, away from the rest of the group that had gathered around the entrance.</p>
<p>Hmmm.</p>
<p>Was it safe to slip away—okay, Ling was handling the concerned crowd, it was fine. Even if it wasn’t, Ling could handle the fallout. Ed slowly inched away from the group, then made a dash in the direction the two escapees had gone.</p>
<p>After turning a few corners, he glanced back; no one following him, good. But where—?</p>
<p>Faint voices from the direction of a slightly open door answered his question.</p>
<p>“Are you quite sure? I must say, I was disturbed to hear of an assassination attempt done in such a sloppy manner. Surely the person you’ve found wouldn’t…?”</p>
<p>Soft laughter. “Fear not. I hire only the best. Unlike this half-hearted attempt, our man will be much more professional.”</p>
<p>“As I hoped. When?”</p>
<p>“Oh, very soon, I assure you.”</p>
<p>Hang on. Were they talking about an <i>actual</i> assassination attempt? First of all, who would be stupid enough to talk about something like that without making sure the doors were closed?</p>
<p>Well, too bad for them. At least now nobody could complain this incident didn’t produce <i>some</i> kind of result.</p>
<p>——</p>
<p>When Ling returned to his quarters late that night, looking tired, Ed was waiting for him, sitting on the floor with a scowl.</p>
<p>“Good news, I’ve convinced most of them that it was an accident, and the ones that aren’t convinced at least agreed to leave it alone,” he announced, cheerful despite his obvious weariness.</p>
<p>“Well, that’s great to hear. Now for the bad news.” Ed crossed his arms. “You convinced them this one was fake, but looks like now you’ve got the real thing to deal with.”</p>
<p>Ling sank down onto a large ornate couch. “Oh, what, another assassination attempt?” He sounded almost nonchalant.</p>
<p>Ed raised an eyebrow. “You deal with this a lot?”</p>
<p>“All my life. It comes with the territory.” He waved one hand as if to dismiss the topic. “So what did you find out?”</p>
<p>Ed quickly explained what had happened and what he’d heard.</p>
<p>“I didn’t see their faces closely enough to tell you who it was,” he added at the end with a grimace.</p>
<p>“No, you’ve given me plenty, thank you.” Ling leaned forward, eyes sharp and serious. “I’ll take care of this, but I could use your help.”</p>
<p>——</p>
<p>Of course, since there was no way to say when or where it would happen, this led to Ed basically turning into a second bodyguard for Ling while trying to pretend that wasn’t what he was doing. Not that it was hard; he just had to act as he always did.</p>
<p>Al got worried when he found out, and tried to insist on helping, but Ed practically forced him to stay home until the problem was dealt with. So it was that Ed and Lan Fan shadowed Ling more or less constantly.</p>
<p>While Ed had to say he appreciated getting to spend more time with the asshole, these sure weren’t the ideal circumstances for it.</p>
<p>Things were suspiciously quiet for three entire days, so Ed was a bit on edge by the time he heard someone quietly breaking into Ling’s bedroom in the middle of the night. There. Perfect.</p>
<p>The would-be assassin hovered over Ling’s bed, ready to strike… and instead found Ling sitting up to strike with his sword.</p>
<p>“Thought you caught me off guard, did you?” Ling said. It was too dark to see, but Ed could hear the dangerous smile in those words.</p>
<p>The assassin cursed and fled toward the door he’d broken in through—but Ed was immediately covering it, and Lan Fan simultaneously moved to cover the second entrance.</p>
<p>Ed made quick work of disarming the guy and gave him a solid kick, after which Lan Fan promptly had him pinned to the floor in a matter of seconds.</p>
<p>Ed crouched down in front of the struggling assassin and cracked his knuckles. “It’s at times like this that I miss my automail arm,” he lamented. “It really was good for punching people.”</p>
<p>“Hang on, Ed.” Ling crouched down next to him. “Before that, let me talk to him.”</p>
<p>Ling pointed the tip of his sword at the assassin’s throat and said, very casually, “Here’s how this is going to go. You can get executed, or you can tell me the names of who hired you in exchange for a lighter sentence.” Ling shrugged. “Personally, I’d go with the second option, if I were you.”</p>
<p>——</p>
<p>It didn’t take long for the assassin to spill, and in short order, the assassin was being arrested along with the two courtiers he’d named.</p>
<p>As they watched the criminals being escorted away, Ling clapped Ed on the shoulder and said, “Okay, I take it back. <i>That</i> was the most romantic thing anyone’s done for me.”</p>
<p>“Wh—wha?!” Ed scowled, feeling himself blush fiercely at the suddenness of the declaration. “You have <i>such</i> a weird idea of romance,” he grumbled.</p>
<p>Ling only laughed.</p>
<p>——</p>
<p>Because neither of them could resist, and because they could use a way to blow off steam after that whole debacle, they were sparring again, this time in private—well, Lan Fan was standing guard outside, but Ling had ordered everyone else to leave them aside from that. Ed couldn’t blame him—it was a lot easier to relax and get into the groove of fighting this way. Well, at least for Ed it was; he was obviously winning this time around.</p>
<p>“You’ve gotten rusty, Your Excellency,” Ed taunted, easily backflipping away from a low swipe from Ling. He rushed in to get in a jab—easily blocked.</p>
<p>“Well, being in charge of a country will do that to you,” Ling said, backing away. “But also, I’m not the hand-to-hand fighter you are.” He pulled out the sword resting on his hip and gestured vaguely in the air with it. “If we were using these, it would be a different story.”</p>
<p>“What, so was the other day when you beat me just a fluke, then?” Ed said with a teasing grin.</p>
<p>The smile on Ling’s face turned mischievous, and Ed suddenly felt less victorious. “Oh, why don’t you tell me, Ed? I think you know exactly why you were so distracted that you lost last time.”</p>
<p>“What’s that supposed to mean?” Ed grumbled.</p>
<p>“It’s because I’m just so irresistible, isn’t it?” Ling said, in that annoying overdramatic way of his.</p>
<p>Fuck. He actually noticed? “You’re an asshole,” Ed told him, feeling a blush creep up.</p>
<p>“I notice you’re not denying it, though,” Ling returned.</p>
<p>Well, what the fuck could Ed say to <i>that</i>? Before he could formulate a coherent reply, Ling was bringing up his sword to lay the tip of it flat under Ed’s chin. Ling’s gaze had turned serious now, and Ling’s gaze felt like it was piercing right through Ed and shaking something deep inside him that he couldn’t quite identify. He was, at once, aware of the fact that Ling could easily use that sword to kill Ed where he stood before Ed had enough time to react, and fully confident in the fact that Ling never would.</p>
<p>“You can’t honestly say you haven’t noticed my flirting the other day, Ed,” Ling said in a low tone, tilting Ed’s head up as though studying his expression. “I didn’t think it was particularly subtle. Even you can’t be that oblivious.”</p>
<p>“Wha—you were serious about that?” Ed sputtered.</p>
<p>Ling laughed quietly. “Ed, why did you <i>think</i> I insisted on a walk through the palace alone?”</p>
<p>Oh. That’s. “Oh,” Ed said out loud.</p>
<p>“But, to be fair, perhaps I could have been more clear with my intentions,” Ling continued. He drew back his sword and sheathed it. “So, in the spirit of being fair…”</p>
<p>Ling stepped in, which immediately put Ed on guard, but before he could get into his stance, Ling did a sweep under his legs, causing Ed to fall back. He shielded the back of his head on instinct as he fell, the hard wood floor knocking the wind out of him.</p>
<p>And once he reoriented himself, he looked up to realize Ling was now hovering over him, hands planted on the floor on either side of Ed’s head, practically straddling his waist. Ling, who was sweaty after their sparring session, who was wearing his loose training gear that showed off more of his body and just made it more obvious how <i>maddeningly</i> attractive he could be. And with Ling more or less on top of him like this… yeah, it was doing things to Ed.</p>
<p>Ling leaned in close. “If you’d like to… maybe we should just get on with it?”</p>
<p>Ed stared up at Ling for a few moments, before finally deciding—fuck it. He grabbed Ling’s ponytail and yanked on it to pull Ling down into a kiss. Ling made a surprised noise, but quickly responded in turn. Ed couldn’t say he had much experience in kissing, but there was an electricity in it that was addicting. Ling was aggressive, pushing in and nipping with his teeth a bit, and of course Ed couldn’t be outdone, could he?</p>
<p>Ling pulled away soon enough, though, and without the distraction of kissing, Ed was quick to realize that Ling basically being on top of him was causing a certain <i>other</i> problem for him. Not that Ling seemed to mind, if the smirk on his face was any indication.</p>
<p>Wait. “Did you plan for this to end up this way, you bastard—<i>aaah</i>, fuck—” Ed cut himself off as Ling ground down with his hips, rubbing the heat of their erections together.</p>
<p>“Well, not <i>planned</i>, but I certainly wasn’t going to turn it down if it ended up like this,” Ling said, a bit breathless. “And by the way,” he added, “do feel free to just kick me off of you if you want to stop at any point.”</p>
<p>Of all the— “I’d have kicked you ages ago if I actually wanted to.” Ed grabbed Ling’s hips and pulled them down as he ground his own up against them.</p>
<p>Ling groaned, which turned into breathy laughter. “Fair enough,” he said cheerfully. He reached down to palm the front of Ed’s pants, and Ed let out a hiss of pleasure.</p>
<p>Ling then pulled away and leaned back enough so he could quickly get Ed’s pants undone and pull out Ed’s cock, which was achingly hard by now. Ed felt oddly self-conscious as Ling looked it over with interest.</p>
<p>Ling said to himself, “Well, let’s try this, then,” and before Ed could say anything in reply, Ling bent down and put his mouth around Ed’s entire cock all at once.</p>
<p>“Fuck—” Ed bucked his hips up without meaning to. “Warn a guy next time, asshole!”</p>
<p>Ling laughed, a vibration that sent shudders through Ed. The suddenness of the whole thing was overwhelming, and what’s more, Ling was <i>good</i> at this. The heat of his mouth surrounding him, and that was Ling’s <i>tongue</i>, and it was so much all at once in the best way possible.</p>
<p>Ed just barely had enough presence of mind to groan out, “I guess I finally found a way to get you to stop talking.”</p>
<p>Ling laughed around Ed’s cock again, and that was Ed’s undoing—he spilled over the edge, coming harder than he ever had before. Dimly, he was aware of Ling swallowing all of Ed’s come and then pulling off.</p>
<p>After taking a minute to recover, Ed pushed himself up to a sitting position. “Holy shit,” he said to no one in particular, then to Ling, “Come here, now, it’s your turn,” because he’d have to be an idiot not to notice that Ling was still very hard after all that.</p>
<p>Ed fumbled with Ling’s pants just long enough to pull Ling’s cock free. It was a nice cock, Ed supposed, though he hadn’t seen enough of them up close to judge what a really nice one was, objectively speaking. But subjectively, it was nice.</p>
<p>Ling tried to say, “Well, if you insist,” but it turned into a groan at the end as Ed ran his hand up Ling’s cock and gave it a gentle tug.</p>
<p>Getting someone else off wasn’t that different from getting yourself off, really, but it felt entirely different, because with each careful pull and twist of Ed’s fingers he got to hear the obscene noises Ling was making in response, and that was a very pleasing feeling. Ling leaned his forehead on Ed’s shoulder and let Ed work until suddenly with a shout he was spilling over into Ed’s hand.</p>
<p>As Ling collapsed onto him, Ed said, “Make that two ways to get you to shut up,” unable to keep the smugness out of his tone.</p>
<p>Ling laughed and pulled away. “I’m sure we can find plenty more ways after this.”</p>
<p>Ed shrugged, suddenly strangely nervous again. “If that’s what you want.”</p>
<p>Ling raised an eyebrow. “What, Ed, did you think I just pulled you in here for some quick sex? Of course that’s what I want. I’m in this for as long as you are.”</p>
<p>Well. Okay. That answered that question. Ed tried not to let the relief show on his face as he grinned. “Works for me, then. I’m in as long as you are, too.”</p>
<p>Ling grinned back. “Good.”</p>
<p>——</p>
<p>Al met them near the entrance to the palace, and Ed thought they weren’t so obvious, but there must have been something in their expressions, because Al took one look at the two of them and sighed.</p>
<p>“Whatever the two of you did, don’t tell me,” he said. “Just—I’m happy for you two, I guess, but I don’t want to know the details.”</p>
<p>“That’s fair, honestly,” Ed told him. Because, yeah. Al was his <i>brother</i>.</p>
<p>As Ed made to leave with Al, he turned back to see Ling watching him with a serene smile.</p>
<p>“I hope those stuffy courtiers of yours won’t be too bothered if I drop in on you again tomorrow,” Ed said.</p>
<p>There was that mischievous smile of Ling’s. “If they aren’t, they’ll just have to learn to deal with it, won’t they?”</p>
<p>“Damn right.” Ed grinned. “Until next time, then?”</p>
<p>Ling gave him a slow nod. “Of course. Until next time.”</p>
<p>There was a spring in Ed’s step as he left. Whatever this was they were doing, well, they could figure it out. It was the start of something new, and that was good. That was all that mattered.</p>
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